Twins to live separate lives at last

Stephanie (left) and Veronika van Dijck were among 126 new doctors who took the oath last night. Picture / Martin Sykes

Meet Doctors Stephanie and Veronika van Dijck, identical twins about to take separate paths after living similar lives for their 23 years.

They were in the same class at primary school (Monte Cecilia), intermediate school (Marcellin), much of secondary school (Epsom Girls Grammar) and again at the Auckland Medical School.

Last night, after their six-year medical course, they affirmed the medical school's declaration of good conduct - a modern-day variant of the Hippocratic Oath.

In nine days time, with a medical degree and provisional registration in hand, they start their medical careers - at separate hospitals.

"We thought we might split ourselves up for once," says Stephanie.

"We thought it might be a good idea," continues Veronika.

"Because we do tend to get known as 'The Twins'," says Stephanie, completing the sentence.

Veronika will start as a house officer at Auckland City Hospital, Stephanie at Middlemore.

Both young Hillsborough women have wanted to be doctors for as long as they can remember. And despite heading to different hospitals, their career aims aren't far apart.

Stephanie is keeping an open mind, but is keen on becoming a surgeon, possibly in orthopaedics.

Veronika, too, wants "something with some element of surgical involvement. It's a lot of fun. It's good to be able to use your hands as well as your brain".

The van Dijcks were among 126 new doctors scheduled to attend last night's ceremony, held at Auckland Girls Grammar School.

Healing words

* Doctors are commonly thought to swear the Hippocratic Oath to do no harm, but different declarations are used in New Zealand.
* Hippocrates, a 5th century BC Greek, is considered the father of medicine.
* The oath attributed to him has fallen out of favour because of ideological clashes, although many modern declarations claim to be based on it.
* It contains references to the Greek gods, advocates teaching men but not women and bans abortion.
* The Auckland Medical School declaration commits graduates to "ever have in mind the care of the sick and the wellbeing of the healthy ... "